According to TMZ, Mr. Abramovich hosted nine guests at Nello’s on the Upper East Side on Friday. The tab came to $47,221.09. He added another $5,000 tip (on top of the $7,328 gratuity already included) for a total of $52,221.09.

In an email, a spokesman for Mr. Ambramovich denied the bill was Mr Abramovich’s. He said Mr. Abramovich did eat at the restaurant but that the “party spent no more than a tiny fraction of that amount – less than a couple of percent.”

A manager at the restaurant declined to comment.

The bill shown by TMZ, however, is rich with details–and explains how someone could rack up a $52,000 bill. The main culprits: wine and truffles.

There were the three bottles of La Tache, for $5,000 each (alas, the bill doesn’t give the vintage). There were the two bottles of Petrus, also at $5,000 each. And two bottles of Cristal Rose, at $5,000 each.

The food was typical Manhattan, with most entrees going for $50 or less. But the group had two orders of truffle carpaccio for $100 each, and three truffle taglionis for $585.

Is this shocking and abhorrent at a time when so many in the U.S. are losing their homes and jobs?

That is one way to look at it.

Another way is to thank him for being a one-man stimulus package. Beyond the lunch, I’m sure the Abramovich visit included plenty of shopping, hotels, drivers, nightclubs, and (perhaps) artwork at this week’s big auction nights.

And as a New York resident, I look at the $3251.89 tax line and have two simple words for Mr. Abramovich: Thank you.

What do you think of the Abramovich lunch bill?

UPDATE: A spokesman for Mr. Abramovich had the following update on 11/6:
“The $47,000 check for food and wine at Nello’s in New York on October 30, 2009, published by various media outlets over the past few days, is in no way connected to Mr. Roman Abramovich. While Mr. Abramovich and five others did dine at Nello’s on that date, their total bill amounted to only a couple of percent of that amount, and no one consumed alcohol. The assertion that they ran up a bill of any greater magnitude is entirely false.

We are in the process of investigating the origins of this inaccurate story, which we have been told was perpetuated by people connected to the restaurant. Our legal counsel has been instructed to review any appropriate action to rectify this situation.”

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10:57 am July 21, 2011

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Spend it all! Share the wealth.

6:30 pm April 24, 2011

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No wonder the rich are stereotyped as snobbish, wasteful pigs.

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About The Wealth Report

The Wealth Report is a daily blog focused on the culture and economy of the wealthy. It is written by Robert Frank, a senior writer for the Wall Street Journal and author of the newly released book “THE HIGH-BETA RICH.”